The new aircraft will replace 20 Boeing 747s and 14 Boeing 767s which are around 25 years old.

"For the past four years, we have grown capacity by using our aircraft more efficiently," Chief Executive Willie Walsh said. "In order to continue to grow our long-haul business we now need additional long-haul aircraft."

Boeing made all the 114 planes in the airline's current long-haul fleet, half of them 747s.

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